XO
by maedeux
Summary: Roy tracks Jade as she's doing a job, they need to talk about her methods now that they are together. Tie in to Come as You Are, takes place before and during Come as You Are.


An: So here's the promised Roy and Jade story, sorry it took so long but my laptop was in the shop and I didn't have this saved to a flash drive. The second chapter of Come as You are is about half way done and it will be up in the next week or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or the Fall out Boy song XO.

* * *

XO

He's looking for her in a crowded bar, he knows he should be in Central helping Wally celebrate, but Wally's a big boy he can handle it if he misses. Sure he's been like a brother to him all these years, but it's Wally if there is anyone that could possibly understand the predicament that he's currently put himself in, it would be Wally.

His thoughts stop as he spots her, at the bar with some guy who's buying her a drink. She's charming him with the Vietnamese overtones in her voice. He feels the primal urge to be territorial rise; he'd say something to the guy and get him to back off if he didn't know how her life depended on this. The Shadows were getting suspicious, and he knows that it is his fault so he just hangs back in the crowd until he can catch her eye.

She's finally registered his presence and the look on her face tells him that he should leave, but hell he's the one that got her in this mess and he'd be damned if he left her to get out of it by herself.

"Stop," he mouths discretely when he catches her eye. The last thing they need is for someone to catch the communicating while she's on the job as long as they think that he's just being cocky by trying to track her down on his own their in the clear.

She gives him a look that says she didn't understand a damn thing that he just mouthed to her. He gives up trying and just hopes that she'll stop herself before things get too far. With his head hung low in defeat he exits the building. When did relationships become so complicated he asks himself, knowing that the answer is when he started dating an assassin.

She sees him exit the building and puts on her best poker face to hide her anger and hurt. She knows how it hurts him to see her doing this, but when it comes to her job she's willing to do whatever it takes to get the kill. He's the same with his job though as Roy has pointed out many times before whatever it takes in his job is a lot different than whatever…

"Lilly," a male voice interrupts her from her thoughts. She remembers soon enough that that is the name she's using for the night, "how about me and you head back to my place for the night." She's about to say no and just slip some poison into his drink when she thinks about the low number of witnesses that would be there if she killed him in his apartment. His apartment it is.

When they are laying on the couch kissing and she feels his hand moving up her thigh she reminds herself that this is what she supposed to do in her field. She keeps her conscience at bay and keeps going. So what it's for a job Roy knew what he was getting himself into, she warned him ahead of time, and he still chose her. Sure he wants to be her knight in shining armor and all, but that's not what she needs right now.

* * *

An hour and a kill later she's climbing up the fire escape to the roof. As she's running across rooftops, she won't let herself think of him and what she's doing to him.

"Jade," he calls from behind her, "we need to talk about this."

She rolls her eyes as she's turning around, on a roof top after a successful job is not the place that she wants to talk about the unfortunate aspects of her job, why doesn't he get that. Jade is about to tell him off, but one look at the hurt look on his face and she knows she's done this one too many times.

"Okay Roy we can talk, but not here."

They both here the footsteps coming and go on the defensive.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my pathetic excuse for a daughter and my little _Broken Arrow_," Roy flinches at the phrase and hopes that Sportsmaster doesn't notice, "looks like you two are catching up. Hey Broken Arrow you might want to adjust that flinching problem of yours, wouldn't want that to give you away while you're on the job." Damn he did notice.

"Well_ Daddy_, Arrow here seems to have taken a liking to following me around and seeing as the Justice League is now sending their rejects to tail us I guess we aren't causing enough mayhem."

They both turn on Roy and he knows what's about to happen he braces himself for the inevitable. It's always the same he watches over Jade Sportsmaster shows up, and somehow he always gets the short end of the stick and winds up injured.

In the brief time he's paused to think Jade and Sportsmaster have advanced on him. The look in her eye says that she's sorry about this, and that she thinks it's his fault because he showed up while she was on the job.

As he's falling off the roof and shooting a grappling arrow, he's thinking about how bad her round kick to the face hurt and how they are going to need to set some boundaries for how she does her job, because sex can't be the answer, at least not anymore.

He's not letting this go, but he knows he can't have an actual conversation with Jade with Sportsmaster there. Counting his losses he heads to Central to congratulate Wally.

* * *

When he gets to Central Wally's party is over, but he figures that's a good thing because then he won't have to explain to anyone else where he was. He's on his way to Wally's house when a taxi passes him on the street, it's not the taxi but who's in it that surprises him. He heads to check the flight schedule, because if she's heading to Gotham Wally has a chance to catch her in the next couple of days, but if she has a job there's no telling when Wally will catch up to her. Like the good big brother he is Roy checks the flight schedule. He should have known no flights from here to Gotham for another week.

He's started walking again when he spots it or should he say him, Wally is lying in an alley. He's breathing so he's not dead. Since he has the time he figures he'll run to the store get a pre-paid phone and see if Jade will tell him where Artemis is heading.

She answers on the second ring, "Where is Artemis heading?"

"Well hello to you too Roy."

He knows that even though he's mad at her now he should give her a civil greeting, so he takes a deep breath and starts over.

"Hey Jade."

"Much better."

"So are you going to tell me where Artemis is going?"

"Home obviously. Whatever rooftop you're stalking her from I'd suggest you stop, she's become a much better fighter since she's rejoined the Shadows."

"Rooftop? You don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

"Well, Jade, sorry to burst your bubble, but I saw Artemis in a taxi cab heading to Central City International Airport."

"What the hell is she doing in Central she's supposed to be headed to Vietnam to do her job-"

A smirk spreads across his face as Jade gasps on the other line. As of lately it seem she's becoming more and more willing to give him information on the Shadows. He won't do anything with it because he knows that Ra's al Ghul will sacrifice Jade before any of his higher up assassins, and in his mind it's not worth the risk. He loves her, he knows she loves him too, if the number of times that she's gotten berated for allowing him to live in a situation where it was in all of the shadow's best interest to kill him.

"Roy. William. Harper Jr. I swear to god if you tell anyone, especially Wally, you're dead. No you're deader than dead-"

"Well love you too Jade. Are you going to be home for dinner?" He asks in a laughing tone.

"No I have to go see Ra's to debrief him about my job, and about a certain someone who decided to butt in."

"Oh right, listen Jade sorry I showed up at the bar, but you gottta know that I worry about you sometimes." The joking tone is gone from his voice.

"Roy I don't need you to protect me, I was doing that just fine before you came along."

"Whatever. We'll talk more when you get home.

"Roy, you and I both know that I won't be home tonight."

"Fine come home when you can, but I miss you."

Before she has the chance to respond he's hung up. She knows he's upset, but he'll just have to learn to deal with her job. He's holding it all in at this point in time, but she knows she's gotta tread carefully now, because Roy seems like he's one argument away from passing out drunk at a bar.

* * *

It's two days later and he's passed out on the couch at home, he knows that she shouldn't be effecting him this much, but she is. Big deal he loves her that doesn't seem to stop her from doing her 'jobs' literally.

A week and a half have passed when he hears footsteps in his apartment, their apartment, he knows she's home so he drags himself out of bed. Before he realizes what's going on she's tackling him. Arms locked around his neck, legs around his waist, their bodies collapsing on the floor together in a mass of limbs. Somewhere deep inside they both know that this is how it's meant to be, them together no matter what, but they know it can't last they have to talk about what happened almost two weeks ago, where she's been and what he's been doing during her absence. They know that sooner or later the inevitable argument will ensue and they'll both be left with broken wills that only the other can fix.

As he's pulling her up he asks, "So rest or talk now?"

"Talk, no use in delaying the inevitable. And for the record I didn't sleep with that guy, I didn't let him go pass second base, the only reason I was in there so long was because I was given specific instructions on how the scene needed to look."

"Really, Jade I'm 22 not 5, the truth this time."

"Fine Roy, he was pretty close to home when I stopped him. Is that what you wanna hear, that I almost had sex with some guy to get the job done."

"No, it's not, but it's the truth so I'll have to deal with it. So much for love, right now I'd settle for lust, but it seems like guys get that as a _side benefit_ of being killed by you."

"Not fair Roy."

"Not fair. You know what's not fair, Jade having to sit around and wait weeks on end just to hear from you to make sure that you're still alive. Do you have any idea how that tares me up inside, not knowing if the girl you're in love with is alive or dead?"

"Sure that's all fine and dandy Roy, but I can't sit around being some housewife waiting at home for you, because in case you haven't noticed love doesn't pay the bills. It will get you nothing, but a broken heart."

"You don't think I realize that now. And there are plenty of other jobs out there besides being an assassin that can pay the bills."

"So that's what this is about. It has nothing to do with me almost having sex with guys to get my job done, you just want me to quit. Well newsflash, Roy, when we got together I said I wasn't quitting that still hasn't changed."

"Jade, imagine me _almost_ sleeping with other women to get the job done and then tell me how you'd feel."

She only gets to him flirting and kissing the girl in her head before she's so angry she's seeing red and her heart feels like it's sunk to the pit of her stomach in fear that she's not good enough for him anymore. She figures with the way she's feeling that she might as well come to some agreement to limit her physical contact with her victims.

"Ugh," she moans in frustration, she doesn't want to admit that he's right so she keeps her mouth shut.

"It'd bother you wouldn't it. Trust me I totally get doing whatever it took to get the job done, but I have you and I don't consider pissing you off and making you feel worthless, worth it."

"It makes you feel worthless?"

His silence is the only answer she needs.

She wraps her arms tightly around his waist and rest her head on his shoulder as she whispers, "Roy, don't ever feel like your worthless to me. Trust me if I didn't view as being worth my time or heart I wouldn't be here right now," into his ear.

His arms tighten around her waist as he drags her back to their room. She's kicking her boots off and flopping down on the bed, head on the pillow. He's sitting on the foot of their bed ready to massage her feet. They've come to a silent agreement, they'll continue the conversation later, when his excitement isn't mixed with his fear and anger, and when her guard isn't up so high from the danger she's just faced and when the forefront thing on their minds isn't holding the other in their arms and never letting go.

* * *

It's a week later when they wake up and decide to talk about it again. He hasn't been out patrolling once this week and he's getting up before her to start fixing breakfast. She hears him rummaging around the kitchen and knows that he has no clue what he's doing so she gets up to help him.

"Roy."

When he turns around he looks like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Jade chuckles to herself at his reaction.

"Relax Arrow you're not in trouble, unless you've done something I should know about."

"Ha-ha very funny. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, so go back to bed I'll be there when I get done cooking."

"Nah I think I'll stay your track record for edible meals is not in your favor, well actually mine seeing as you were trying to cook for me."

His face turns red at the memory. It wasn't long after they'd got together, he wanted to surprise her with breakfast in bed, but wound up starting a kitchen fire. They put it out without the fire department getting involved; she banned him from cooking after that, but Roy being Roy tried again twice after that before it got through his head that unless it was cereal he wasn't to make any food.

"Fine, fine. I'll get you a bowl of Honey Smacks."

"That works, I guess."

"Roy what are you doing?" She shouts at him as he's fixing her bowl of cereal.

"Fixing you cereal."

"Oh no, disaster averted, I'm going back to bed. I'll be up in a couple hours."

"Jade."

"What Roy."

"You know what. We never finished our discussion from the other night, and it's been a week. I think we need to talk."

"Fine Roy, you want to talk, talk, but the only response you're getting from me is snoring."

With that she slams the bedroom door in his face. He throws down the bowl that had been in his hand the whole time. It shatters on the floor. As he's getting the broom to clean up the mess he decides go out patrolling. If Jade didn't want to talk he didn't either.

He doesn't know it, but she has the room door cracked watching him. She's laughing to herself, watching him sweep up the broken bowl in his Red Arrow uniform. She sighs to herself and decides that for once that compromise isn't so bad.

"Here let me help you," she grabs the dust pan out of his hand, and holds it in place while he sweeps.

They're done sweeping up the mess and he's changed out of his uniform, sitting at the table not knowing how to begin.

"I admit, I was wrong to follow you while you're doing job, but it's only because I'm worried about you."

"Alright, apology accepted."

"Jade"

He knows she's stubborn so it doesn't surprise him that she's holding out on saying sorry for as long as she can.

"Alright, I'm sorry too. I know that you don't like it when I flirt with guys on the job," the look he gives her makes her correct her statement, "Okay when I almost sleep with guys on the job."

"Can't you stop?"

"Not really I can keep them from going as far, but the Shadows watch me pretty closely when I'm working. If I stop all together they'll know that something is up."

"Fair enough."

"Well since we're done here I'm going back to bed."

"Seeing as I don't have to cook you breakfast now…Race you!"

They both take off for the bed at top speed. Jade gets there first and flops down. Roy lands on top of her claiming that he let her win so he could be on top, but they both know that that's a lie.

They stayed in bed most of the day with Roy periodically bringing her bowls of cereal. It's the next when they are leaving the house together that Jade tells her that she wants to stop by and check on Artemis.

* * *

"Come on Roy all I wanna do is go by and see how her job went in Vietnam."

"Well let's see she flew to Vietnam, she killed in Vietnam, she ran into Wally in Vietnam, she agreed to go on a date with Wally two weeks after she got back from Vietnam."

"Seriously Roy."

"Now you know what happened so let's go home," he turns to walk to the zeta tube in old telephone booth. He stops when he sees that she's not following him, but keeps walking in the direction of Artemis' apartment.

"Come on Jade, her and Wally's date was tonight if anything we don't wanna disturb their after date activities."

"Roy she's my sister, I wanna see how she's doing."

"Fine, but if she gets pissed at us for cock-blocking don't say I didn't warn you."

"Whatever Roy, we both know that Wally isn't getting any tonight."

They head to Artemis' apartment. When they get there no one comes to the door. Jade takes out her key and opens the door. Roy rolls his eyes at the obvious invasion of privacy that if anyone did to her, she'd kill them for.

"Well looks like she's not here."

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"I told you that we should have stayed at home."

The looks she gives him tells him to drop the subject.

"Fine I'll call Nightwing and see if she's been spotted in the area tonight. Okay?"

"Okay."

When he gets off the phone he has a smug look on his face.

"What last place she was seen was Bibbo's with Wally. So chances are they went back to his place."

She gets up to leave, without saying a word.

"Where are you going?"

"There is a flight that leaves for central at midnight we're going to be on that plane."

"Seriously Jade."

"What Roy?"

"Don't you think that your blowing this a little bit out of proportion?"

* * *

They're in the airport when he finally takes her seriously.

"Did you really think that I was joking?"

"No, but I was hoping you were."

"Hey this is my little sis we're talking about I just wanna make sure she's okay. I'm hoping that your right about her being at Wally's because I don't wanna think about what it means if she isn't."

"It'll be fine."

She's rolling her eyes as their boarding the plane. It's 3 something by the time they reach Wally's.


End file.
